There is no weird or convoluted back story with regards to the acquisition of this bottle of Concannon Irish Whiskey. I received an email from a New York Public Relations firm asking if I’d like to try this whiskey. I immediately said yes, and a few days later, a bottle arrived on my doorstep.
Prior to receiving this email, I had never heard of Concannon Irish Whiskey, so I paid a visit to their website, and here is what I was able to find out:
A refined blend of malt and grain whiskeys, Concannon Irish Whiskey is craft distilled for proper balance of character and purity, then matured in a combination of ex-bourbon barrels and Concannon wine barrels for a minimum of four years. With a full, clean taste delicately balanced between honey sweet, citrus and malt flavors, and a fresh oak finish, Concannon Irish Whiskey can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks or in a variety of premium cocktails.
Let’s get on with the review…
- Appearance: Golden yellow, but with a very slight pinkish hue.
- Aroma: Quite sweet and fruity on the nose. Freshly pulled taffy, vanilla nougat, grape juice, and perhaps even a hint of fresh berries.
- Taste: A bit on the watery side with regards to the mouthfeel. A surprising burst of alcohol heat when it first hits your tongue given it’s relatively low ABV. Once you get past the alcohol, all of that fruity sweetness starts to come through which is probably due to the time spent in Petite Syrah barrels. Intensifies a bit at mid-palate with a bit of sweet cinnamon heat coming through. The finish is quite dry with a vanilla nougat and mild cinnamon spiced aftertaste that doesn’t last for very long.
- ABV: 40%
I am pleasantly surprised by the Concannon Irish Whiskey. While it lacks the depth and complexity of some of my favorite Irish whiskeys (Redbreast and Yellow Spot immediately come to mind), I found plenty of good things going on in this whiskey to say that I truly enjoyed it. My only real complaint is with the finish which I found to be a bit ho-hum. I’m sure more time spent in the barrel can correct that.
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Many thanks to The Baddish Group for sending us this very generous sample!
